U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) have introduced the Generate Recordings of All Child Protective Interviews Everywhere (GRACIE) Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at incentivizing states to require the recording of all Child Protective Services (CPS) interviews with children and adults. The legislation seeks to modernize CPS interview protocols, improve transparency, and increase the likelihood of identifying and rescuing child trafficking victims from dangerous situations, including sex and labor trafficking, domestic violence, and physical and emotional abuse.
“Children are often silenced by their abusers, and we need to do everything in our power to ensure that does not happen,” said Senator Blackburn. “The GRACIE Act would help give more children a voice, increase domestic violence reporting, and strengthen the foster care system.”
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Senator Ossoff echoed this sentiment, stating, “We can never do enough to support vulnerable children in Georgia and across the country. Senator Blackburn and I are introducing this new bipartisan bill to strengthen transparency in State child protective agencies and help States better fund their operations.”
In the United States, an estimated 37.4% of children will be interviewed by CPS at some point during their childhood. These interviews are often traumatic and can serve as a critical gateway to the foster care system. However, the current system is plagued by inefficiencies and a lack of accountability. Approximately 60% of U.S. domestic child sex trafficking victims have engaged with the foster care system, yet many undergo multiple interviews without being identified as victims or removed from harmful environments.
CPS has also faced criticism for distorting the testimony of children who attempt to report abuse or trafficking, leaving them trapped in dangerous situations. The GRACIE Act aims to address these systemic failures by mandating the recording of all CPS interviews, ensuring greater transparency and accountability.
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The GRACIE Act would establish a program within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to award grants to states that require the recording of all CPS interviews with children and adults. The legislation includes robust privacy and security provisions to protect the recordings, ensuring they are only shared with law enforcement during investigations and retained only for the duration necessary to resolve the case.
This approach mirrors existing accountability measures in law enforcement, such as the DOJ’s requirement for recorded interrogations and the widespread use of police body cameras. Advocates argue that similar measures are long overdue in the child protection space.
The GRACIE Act has garnered widespread support from organizations dedicated to combating child exploitation and trafficking. Endorsements include Street Grace, No Trafficking Zones, Pearl at the Mailbox, The Foundation United, Rights for Girls, 3Strands Global, Engage Together, Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking, and Paving the Way Foundation.
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Bob Rodgers, CEO of Street Grace, praised the legislation, stating, “As an organization dedicated to stopping the exploitation of children, we have seen firsthand the urgent need for reform—especially at the intersection of child protection and foster care. The GRACIE Act is a crucial step toward ensuring that every child’s voice is heard and that those on the frontlines of working with exploited children are held to the highest standards of accountability. This legislation closes a critical gap, providing necessary safeguards to protect vulnerable youth from further harm.”
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